Starting Point
by Lafayette1777
Summary: A new employee is shown around Princeton-Plainsboro. Post-finale one-shot.


A woman called Eve was sitting in a well lit office on a Monday morning, being handed a schedule and an ID badge with her picture on it.

"Diagnostics is on the second floor, on the right side when you take the elevators from the lobby. It's easy to miss, just a conference room and Dr. Chase's office. I told Dr. Taub to show you around once you get up there." Eric Foreman stood, and Eve did the same. They shook hands and he gave a comforting smile. "It'll be tough at first, but you'll get used to it."

"I'm sure." She agreed, and he showed her to the door.

She followed the signs down a hallway bustling with nurses, patients, and other doctors to the elevators in the lobby, where she waited a few moments with a crowd of people. When the doors pinged open, they packed in like sardines, and Eve saw to it that the second floor button was pressed.

m m m

Chris Taub closed the case file he'd been looking through when he heard the elevator doors sliding open down the hall. He cracked the conference room door and peeked out at who dismounted.

Nurses, some familiar looking doctors, not so familiar looking patients, and then a lost looking woman in a pants suit and briefcase. She had dark red hair pulled back in a low pony tail, and was somewhere between tall and short.

"Eve Dawson?" He took a guess.

The woman with the red hair turned. "Are you Dr. Taub?"

"Yep, call me Chris." He held out a hand and she shook it. "Lucky for you, we just finished our latest case, so we have time to show you around the hospital."

"How often do you have cases?" Eve asked.

"Every week or so, but its erratic. Waiting around for people to get deathly and mysteriously ill and all." Taub replied. "You went to Duke med, right?"

"Right." They had begun to head down the hallway, Eve assuming Taub had a destination in mind.

"I'm sorry if I'm prying, but we don't get new colleagues very often."

"It's no problem." She gave a nervous smile. "If you don't mind me asking, how many are there in the department?"

"Three, me, Chase, and Park. There were four, but Adams left. But I suppose we have four again now."

"Am I going to meet the others today?"

"If we can track 'em down, sure. Chase and Park are off doing God knows what."

Taub showed her the ER and ICU, showed her where the operating rooms were. He introduced her to a few department heads, walking straight past Wilson's old office, which now had a new name on the door. He pointed out the clinic, and showed her the pathology labs and store rooms.

They circled back to Diagnostics after forty-five minutes. Taub was relieved to see Chase and Park had resurfaced and were in Chase's office. Eve didn't talk much, and he was starting to feel ridiculous, pointing things out and having her just nod in response.

Chase gave his usual winning smile, showing all eighty-four of his teeth as Foreman had once put it, and introduced Park as well. He handed out files, apparently he'd rounded up a new patient, and they sat around the conference table and got to work.

Eve fit in well. She contributed quickly and confidently. Chase divvied up jobs, and, as expected, he sent Taub and Eve to get blood while he took Park to do an environmental check.

Chase and Park headed off down the hall, stopping at the elevators. Taub got to his feet lethargically, and moved to make coffee in the kitchenette.

"So what's their deal?" It was the first time Eve had asked anything that wasn't logistical or hospital-oriented. Taub was refreshed to see she had a personality.

Eve had stayed seated, and he followed her eyes to Chase laughing at something Park had said before climbing inside the elevator.

"What do you mean?" Taub asked, though he had a good guess as to what she meant.

"I mean, they haven't left eachother's side since I've met them. And they have a natural inclination to lean in when they stand beside one another." Taub glanced at Eve. Yes, she belonged here. You don't observe that kind of detail without having some kind of aptitude for diagnostics.

"They'v been together a few months. Long time coming, if you ask me. Don't worry, they're reasonably discreet, so it doesn't get too awkward." Taub explained, happy to share gossip. "Unless you pick up on the obviously sexual body language." He added as an afterthought.

"Is that why the woman before me, Adams, left?"

"Nice inference," Taub grew more impressed with his new colleague, if at all possible. "She did like Chase, and when she figured out he was with Park...well, let me tell you, _that _was awkward. But, it's complicated. A lot of things have changed recently. A shit-load, actually."

"Thought so," Eve nodded thoughtfully, and returned to reading the patient's file.

"Shall we get that blood now?" Taub asked, putting his coffee down on the counter.

"Oh, right. Of course." Eve looked up from her reading and stood. She snagged the room number off the file, and convinced Taub she could get her bearings and take the lead.

Taub followed a few paces behind Eve, and against all his efforts, let one thought drift through his mind as he watched the woman in front of him.

_House would've liked her._

**Author's note: Just a one-shot I thought of. Reviews much appreciated!**


End file.
